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Mini toiletry bag for iPhone 12. Like the iPhone 12 Pro, it has been redesigned to be slimmer.
Photo: Sochika Nishida
“This year’s iPhone will be decided.”
When the “iPhone 12 mini” was announced on October 14, I thought so, and I remember writing that in the article. I currently have the iPhone 12 mini review team, but I think the first impression was correct.
iPhone 12 mini. The color is black.
Photo: Sochika Nishida
Mini box for iPhone 12. It got thinner because the AC adapter and headphones were no longer included.
Photo: Sochika Nishida
The bottom line is that the iPhone 12 mini is arguably the best product for anyone looking for a “small iPhone.” At the same time, it is the best product for those who “want to buy a long-lasting iPhone as cheap as possible”.
What does that mean? Let’s explain while looking at the real machine.
The body is small and the screen is large
From the left, Pro Max / Pro / 12/12 mini. The small size of the mini stands out.
Photo: Sochika Nishida
The most important feature of the iPhone 12 mini is “size”. Looking at the four types of Pro Max, the size of the mini is attractive. This time, I reviewed the iPhone 12 Pro Max as a set, so the difference in size is particularly noticeable.
I grabbed the iPhone 12 and 12 mini with one hand. The mini is easy to hold, but 12 is a bit more.
Photo: Sochika Nishida
Smartphones have gotten bigger all the time and many people would not be satisfied with them. Especially in Japan, unlike in other countries, many people use the motion input, and there is a tendency to prefer “one-handed smartphones”.
In 2020, the popular small and low-priced iPhone “iPhone SE” was revamped, but because it is based on the iPhone 8, it was not as small as the original iPhone SE.
The iPhone 12 mini is larger than the original SE, but smaller than the second-generation SE, and can be easily held in one hand. Even with the case attached, it’s still light and compact, so it packs a punch.
From the Apple home page. Comparing the first second-generation iPhone SE / iPhone SE to the iPhone 12 mini, the screen size is much larger, although it is a bit larger than the first.
Source: Apple
Even so, there is a big improvement in the specs that the screen is “the latest organic EL”. The point is, it uses a large screen that is pretty close to the size of the main unit.
Of course, it is a shame that facial authentication is used instead of fingerprint authentication, as the use of masks increases due to this crown sword, but even if it is subtracted, the screen is full size compared to iPhone SE. I think it is a merit of.
Communication and operation speed is high even if it is small
There are smartphones that are smaller than the iPhone 12 mini. The most recently released rival is the “Pixel 5”, which is even lighter than the mini.
The beauty of the mini is that it is a “high-end smartphone unto itself” despite its small size. The “A14 Bionic” used in the iPhone 12 series is a fairly fast processor, and the same processor is used in the mini.
In terms of performance, there is not much difference between the larger Pro Max and the mini. In reality, there is no difference in the benchmark test and there is almost no difference in experience. Actually, the amount of main memory is 6GB (Pro Max) and 4GB (mini), but due to the features of iOS, you will hardly notice it. Mainly, this difference works for certain value-added parts such as cameras and LiDAR.
Results in Geekbench 5 with iPhone 12 on the right and iPhone 12 mini on the left. It is a difference that can be said almost a mistake, and the performance can be said to be the same.
The quality of “5G communication”, which is a feature of the iPhone 12, is the same.
It is difficult to say that the price is cheap. There is a belief that small smartphones are cheap so it feels a bit strange.
That said, compactness and high performance are an advantage in the sense of “choosing a smartphone that can be used for a long time.”
Small but great, small enough to keep the camera from shaking? Unexpected benefits
So what about the camera?
Of course, there are differences to the 12 Pro and the Pro Max, which have different numbers of cameras and sensors installed. But it is actually no different from the iPhone 12.
Take a photo of Tokyo Station with the iPhone 12 mini. Compared to the upcoming iPhone 12 Pro, you can see that there is not a big difference in the description.
Photo: Sochika Nishida
Rendering of the iPhone 12 Pro.
Photo: Sochika Nishida
Taken with the iPhone 11 Pro Max released in 2019. It looks like it was aiming for a moody image, and it looks like the direction is significantly different from the 12 series.
Photo: Sochika Nishida
As with the iPhone 12, the overall photo impression is much better than that of the 2019 model iPhone 11. There is an impression that it is a bit too bright at night, but overall it is easy to understand and can take pictures. with a clear impression. It is exactly the same for mini.
In that sense, “whether to choose 12 or mini” is not a problem considering the size. It seems good to think that the performance of the camera is almost the same.
What’s a bit interesting is that the mini seemed to have fewer botched photos. The answer is probably because the mini is lighter and less likely to shake. In that sense, smallness also affects “ease of shooting.”
The only concern is “battery runtime” due to its small size.
Color variations of iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12. Common except for size.
Source: Apple
The only difference from the mini is that it has a “shorter battery runtime” than other models.
In terms of specs, the iPhone 12 is said to have “17 hours for video playback,” but the mini is as short as “15 hours.” When I actually used it, in the case of the mini, the battery level was very low at night, and I had the impression that I wanted to make sure to charge it when I got home.
Source: Apple
In the case of the iPhone 12, the impression is that “until I go to bed at night.” After all, it’s the 12 biggest who can afford it.
But it’s still longer than the iPhone SE and it’s no big deal anymore.
If the problem becomes apparent, it will be when the 5G area widens and the time to communicate with 5G lengthens. Compared to 4G, 5G consumes more power, which is more disadvantageous.
In the end, the size of the main unit = the amount of battery installed, so it can be said that this is a destination in a sense. If battery life is important, you should choose Pro Max, which has a large and heavy body and, if necessary, a mobile battery.
In that sense, the beauty of the mini is this compactness, but in the 5G era, there is a high possibility that it will be a test stone for “how much size and battery runtime is required.”
(Judgment, Muneka Nishida)
